Episode 1: The Isle of the Mender
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: The Dragon Eye leads Hiccup and the gang to the Isle of the Mender, home of the Mender dragon: a dragon with a rare, inexplicable ability to heal itself at will.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: RACE TO THE EDGE SPOILERS!**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **HEY GUYS! :D So I asked if you wanted season 1B now or later, and the majority said now, so guess what? I'm doing it now! :D**

 **I'm thinking about trying to write something, and I'll tell you what it is...probably in an A/N sometime, I don't know when exactly, but I'm going to see if you guys are at all interested, and I'll go from there. Let me know if you're interested AT ALL in hearing what I have to say, and I'll see you all next chapter! :D Enjoy chapter 1! Byyyyeeee!**

* * *

"Hiccup...you told us there were fire breathing dragons here just so we would follow you, didn't you? We know this kind of stuff, Hiccup. We can _think_. I think that you are a moron."

Hiccup cut through tall, dead weeds with a knife the length of his forearm, weaving a way through them for the others to follow. Snotlout wouldn't stop talking, complaining over and over and over again on how hot it was and how he "should never have gotten out of bed that morning."

In Hiccup's opinion, Snotlout was being obnoxious, and he was sure that he spoke for the others as well, but he couldn't really deny the fact that Snotlout was partially right. He wasn't fond of the hot weather, either, especially since he grew up on Berk, which was known for its snowstorms and rain nearly all year long.

"How much longer do you think we'll need to cut through these things before we come to a clearing, Hiccup?" Astrid asked - she was walking directly behind him, widening the path he was making with her axe. The dead stalks of weeds were taller than they were, so there was no looking over it to see what was coming next.

"Who knows," Hiccup said, slicing through another thick patch of dead plants. "It could be another hour."

"Yes," Snotlout said from behind Astrid, waving his arms and slapping a weed angrily. "I don't _think_ you're a moron anymore, Hiccup. Now I _know_."

"Well, you know what they say," said FIshlegs: "There's nothing like the great outdoors."

"Except when it's nearly two hundred degrees outside!" Snotlout shouted. He smacked a weed that was in his way, and it flew back and hit his face, leaving a red mark across his cheek.

"Wow!" Tuffnut exclaimed from behind them. "That looked painful! Here! Do it to me! I want a red line on my face, too!"

"It's not two hundred degrees," Hiccup said matter-of-factly, not even turning around to look at his cousin, his focus on chopping down the plants to continue making the path. "It's probably around one hundred."

"It sure _feels_ like two hundred," Snotlout complained, rubbing his cheek. "I think we should go South."

"I said we were going North," Hiccup said back. "And we're going to go North until we hit a clearing. The Dragon Eye didn't have the map that led us here for no reason. There must be something important here - maybe a new lens, or a new dragon species. Who knows."

"I say we go South," Snotlout insisted.

"And what if Hiccup said to go South?" Astrid asked.

Snotlout fell silent for a few minutes. He put up his hand. "I know what you're…" he began, and then froze. "Don't try to confuse me!" he snapped.

"I still think we should have brought the dragons," said Ruffnut. "It would have gone so much faster."

"Actually, Ruffnut," said Fishlegs in his trademark "let's-be-logical" tone of voice, "if we brought the dragons, chances are, they would have set fire to this entire field. You can see how dry these weeds are."

"I know!" Ruffnut said excitedly. "And that's the point! Lighting them on fire would be faster than chopping them down!"

"It would have been easier than leaving the dragons back at the edge and building those stupid rafts to get here," said Snotlout, "not to mention, a lot _faster_ …"

Leaving the dragons and building three small rafts to get here was Astrid's idea. They first took the dragons for a quick look around, and then after learning how dry the land was, they went back, built three rafts - two dragon riders on each - and headed back to further investigate.

"Oh look!" Hiccup said from in front of them, slicing away one last bit of weeds. There was a small clearing; just what they had been looking for for nearly three hours. "A clearing! Thank goodness…" he added under his breath.

He stepped into the clearing, and the others did the same behind him. First Astrid, then Snotlout, then Fishlegs, and then the twins, each of them covered in stickers with small weeds lodged into their hair.

"Whoohoo!" Snotlout shouted, throwing himself onto the ground. "Fresh air! I feel like I haven't breathed in forever!"

"Another exaggeration," Hiccup said offhandedly.

"Hey!" Snotlout snapped. "I don't tell you how to live _your_ life!"

"Yeah, sure," said Fishlegs. And then, he broke into his best Snotlout impersonation: "'We should have gone South. Go South, Hiccup. Bring the dragons, Hiccup. Stop being a moron, Hiccup.'"

"Shut up, Fishlegs," Snotlout growled.

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Alright, so this is where the Dragon Eye map led us," Fishlegs said. "What are we looking for, Hiccup?"

"Well, we found a lens underground once," Hiccup said. "Are there any tunnels? Caves? Rock crannies someone could hide something in? If not, look for any signs of dragons."

"Got it," they said in unison, and then turned and began searching. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked underneath rocks (the same two rocks, over and over, actually) while Snotlout and Fishlegs took to looking for any sign of dragons. Astrid and Hiccup, meanwhile, split up to search for a new lens for the Dragon Eye.

"Hey, Hiccup!" Astrid called from where she was standing, pulling twigs out of her braid and gazing up at the sky. "I didn't find any cave or anything, but I think I found something you might want to take a look at!"

Hiccup turned and raced towards her, the others hot on his heels (that is to say, _heel)_. "What is it?" he asked as soon as he had caught up with her. "What did you find?"

Astrid simply pointed. "Look," she said.

Hiccup looked upwards. He had to squint, because the sun was right there, but he saw what she meant. At the top of the tree Astrid was staring at and pointing to, hanging with vines and leaves, was a ship.

A large ship, bigger than the Berkian ships they had moored at the docks on Berk. Bigger than Berserker ships, which Hiccup and the rest of the gang came across very often.

"Wow," Hiccup breathed. He looked at their surroundings; weeds, trees, dirt, sand...no ocean for a good twenty miles. He looked back up in the tree at the ship, just to make sure he was seeing right. "Wow," he repeated. "Whoever owned that ship _really_ got off course."

"Yeah," Astrid agreed. "What do you think our next move should be, Hiccup?"

"Well, we'll do what we always do," Hiccup said.

Fishlegs took a nervous step backwards. "Run and flee in terror for our lives?" he asked shakily, yet hopefully.

"No," Hiccup sighed. "We're going to check it out."

Snotlout groaned. "I never should have gotten out of bed today," he muttered angrily.

"Okay," Hiccup said, clapping his hands together and turning back around to face the others. "Our first faze of action is figuring out whether or not the structure is stable. Now-"

Snotlout picked up a rock off the ground and hurled it at the ship. It hit the side of the wood and then fell back to the ground once again. "Sturdy," Snotlout said, crossing his arms. "Can we go now?"

Hiccup sighed. "No, Snotlout," he said. "We still need to figure out whether or not it's safe. I don't think in a tree is the best place for-"

Before he could even finish his thought, Ruffnut and Tuffnut drew their swords (not even Hiccup knew where they got them from) and hurled them at the vines holding the ship in the tree. They snapped almost instantly, and the ship creaked and fell to the ground, hitting it with a _CRASH_ that rattled the ground.

Once all was still again, Hiccup glared at the twins.

"What?" Tuffnut asked. "It's not in the tree anymore."

Hiccup couldn't argue with _that_ much. He put his head in his hands. "I know that, Tuffnut," he said. "Nevermind, let's go." They approached the ship and stared at it with interest for a few moments before climbing onto the deck.

There wasn't much to write home about; just a bunch of dirty swords caked in fine layers upon layers of dust and dirt. Cobwebs littered most of the weapons and many corners of the ship, which only added to the eeriness of the situation.

"Um...the more I look at it," Fishlegs said, "the more I think that maybe someone should keep watch...you know, outside the ship...on the ground...where it's a little bit...um... _safer..._ "

"Fishlegs," Hiccup said, "if you don't want to come with us, no one's going to make you."

"Yeah, we won't," Snotlout said. "We'll just humiliate you for the rest of your life and remember you as the one who was too scared to go on the old and abandoned ship we found in a tree."

Fishlegs whimpered.

"Snotlout, not helping," Hiccup said.

"What?" Snotlout asked innocently. "I call it like I see it!"

"I don't see anything up here that has any significance, Hiccup," Astrid called. "We should check below decks! Maybe that's where the Dragon Eye was leading us. I don't know. Maybe we have the wrong approach altogether."

"Let's check below decks before we make anymore assumptions," Hiccup offered. "Stay together, and _nobody touch anything_. Especially you two." He pointed at the twins, who only smiled innocently in response (which probably made them look more evil than they intended it to).

Hiccup was the first to go down, followed closely by Astrid, Snotlout, the twins, and eventually, Fishlegs as well.

It was dark save for the light streaming through cracks in the wood. The entire place was a mess, and probably an accident waiting to happen, with all the tripping hazards and swords scattered across the ground in no orderly fashion.

"Okay, what are we looking for, specifically?" Fishlegs asked. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can leave."

"We're looking for a lens," Hiccup said. "You guys know what they look like, don't you?"

"Um, are we going to be tested on this?" Tuffnut asked. "Because I am completely clueless."

He was ignored by the other riders, who then proceeded to search high and low for any sign of a Dragon Eye lens. It didn't look like there were any wild dragons; not that they could see yet, anyways.

So, a lens it was. They honestly didn't know what else to look for.

"I think I found something!" Tuffnut called to them.

"Really?" Hiccup made his way over to the male twin, looking at him excitedly. "What did you find? A lens?"

"No!" Tuffnut said. "This!" He held up an emerald necklace and put it over his head. "See? It's like it was meant to be."

Hiccup sighed, his shoulders slumping as he turned back around. "Tell me if you find anything important," he muttered over his shoulder.

"Oh, alright," Tuffnut said.

"I found a lens!" Astrid shouted from the corner of the ship. The others instantly raced over to her as she held her discovery underneath a stream of light and examined it carefully. "Yep, it's definitely for the Dragon Eye."

She handed it to Hiccup, and he looked at it intently. "It is," he said. "Good find, Astrid."

"Does that mean we're done here?" Snotlout asked hopefully. "We're done here, right?"

"Yes, I do believe we're done here," Hiccup agreed.

"Oh, thank Thor!" Fishlegs said. "I'll race you guys to the deck!" He was gone before they even had a chance of following him. They pursued him after another instant, and then began their long trip back to their rafts.

But before they got far, they heard ominous roars issue from the sky above, and Hiccup, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Astrid, and Fishlegs instantly looked up towards the sky to see where the roars were coming from.

Dark shapes circled the sky above them, like gigantic ravens who had found a dead carcass.

But they weren't birds.

They were…

"Dragons!" Fishlegs shrieked.

* * *

 **NOTICE: IF YOU GUYS EVER HAVE IDEAS FOR FUTURE SEASON 1B EPISODES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I STILL NEED QUITE A BIT OF THEM! :D THANK YOU ALL! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! :D Sorry, no shout-outs this chapter, but thank you SOOOOO much for all your support! It means a lot to me! :D**

 **Anyways, sorry for the shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! :D Enjoy chapter 2! :D**

* * *

"DRAGONS!?" shouted Snotlout. "Oh, my THOR, could this day get _any worse!?"_

The dragons circled the sky above them, coming closer and closer to the ground with every second. "Everyone, get down!" Hiccup shouted, and the riders threw themselves onto the ground, just as the first of the dragons swooped over the sky, clawing empty air.

"Hiccup!" said Fishlegs. "Are you _seeing_ these _dragons?_ They're incredible!"

Hiccup swallowed hard. "Yes, Fishlegs, they're awesome!" he said. "But I really think we should admire them _later_ and focus on not letting them kill us now!"

The seven dragons that had been circling above them suddenly landed, directly before them, and now that Hiccup could see them clearly, he _did_ gasp

They looked almost exactly like Deadly Nadders. The only thing different was the color of their scales. Instead of being blue or purple or green, they were a deep, sandy yellow, like the color of a beach. And they did _not_ look friendly, or even trainable at all; they looked dangerous and beyond threatening.

"Oh, great!" said Snotlout. "If we die, I blame Hiccup!"

"This is not the time, Snotlout!" snapped Astrid. "Come on, gang! Defensive formations!" She leapt to her feet and drew her axe. Around her, the other riders also jumped to their feet, weapons at the ready.

The dragons roared at them threateningly.

"I think we should call them Sand Nadders!" said Fishlegs. "Do you think it's a fitting name, Hiccup?"

"LOOK OUT!" Hiccup shouted, as one of the Sand Nadders raised their tail, and Hiccup knocked Fishlegs to the ground just in time; a golden-yellow spine soared over their heads.

"Aww, come _on!"_ shouted Snotlout. "They can shoot spines, too!? _NOT FAIR!"_

Astrid waved her axe at the nearest approaching Sand Nadder, and the dragon instantly backed down, though its defensive stance didn't drop. The largest Sand Nadder approached, and the others shrunk back to let him through.

"He must be the Alpha Sand Nadder," said Fishlegs. "He's definitely bigger than the rest of them…"

" _BIGGER!?"_ shrieked Snotlout. "That thing is a freakin' _TITAN WING!"_

It certainly looked that way, but the Alpha Sand Nadder was still slightly smaller than a Titan Wing. The Alpha Nadder roared at the riders and spread its wings, making it look much larger and more intimidating than it was.

"I don't know about _you_ guys," said Snotlout, "but I think we should, oh, I don't know, _RUN!"_

Without waiting for a response, Snotlout turned and ran for his life, hands thrown over his head, screaming. The Alpha Sand Nadder looked at Snotlout and roared to one of his companions; the Sand Nadder instantly shot off, following Snotlout hotly.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup shouted, and he, too, took off. "Behind you!"

Snotlout chanced a glance over his shoulder, and when he saw just how close the Sand Nadder was, he yelped and ran faster. Snotlout ducked at the last second, just as the Sand Nadder pounced, and then, Snotlout turned and raced in the opposite direction.

"Everyone, make for the shores!" Hiccup shouted, and Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut followed him and Snotlout in pursuit, towards the ocean. The Sand Nadders chased after them, teeth gnashing furiously.

Spines flew from the dragons' tails, embedding in the sand, sometimes very close to the riders, and sometimes very far. One thing was certain: the Sand Nadders did _not_ have expert aim, which gave the riders a bit of an advantage. They ran in zig-zags to further confuse the ferocious beasts, and the Nadders pursued them.

"This is all your fault, Hiccup!" accused Snotlout angrily. "If I die young, everyone will blame you for it!"

"If the Sand Nadders can catch one of us, Snotlout," Hiccup shouted back, equally angrily, "we're _all_ as good as dead!"

"There! I can see the ocean!" shouted Fishlegs, gesturing wildly towards the vast sea of blue, where their small rafts still remained moored. "Come on, come on, _hurry, hurry!"_ he said urgently, and he ran faster - he actually _out_ ran the rest of the riders, and the instant he made it to the shore, he began untying their rafts.

Hiccup and Astrid leapt onto their raft, the twins onto theirs, and finally, Snotlout and Fishlegs onto their raft. The riders pushed off the shores with their oars and sailed into the water, leaving the Sand Nadders behind.

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder. The Alpha Sand Nadder dipped its claw into the water, and withdrew his leg with a screech.

"Hahaha!" shouted Snotlout tauntingly. "You don't like water, do you? _Pathetic!_ Hahahahahaha!"

A spine sailed over his head; he had ducked just in time to avoid getting it lodged into his skull.

"Missed me!" said Snotlout giddily.

"Snotlout, unless you _want_ them to kill you," said Astrid, "I'd shut up."

And Snotlout fell silent, though he still waved at the Sand Nadders in triumph. Eventually, the Sand Nadders slunk backwards, roaring one last time before spreading their wings, and soaring in the opposite direction.

"I hope we never see them again," said Fishlegs. .

"So do I, Fishlegs," Hiccup agreed.

...

They got off their rafts once they reached the shores of Dragon's Edge. Night had fallen hours ago. The dragons, Toothless, Meatlug, Stormfly, Hookfang, and Barf and Belch, met their riders on the shores.

"Hookfang!" said Snotlout, and Hookfang roared at him.

"Oh, Meatlug!" said Fishlegs, embracing his dragon; Meatlug licked his face eagerly. "I am never leaving you again, girl!"

"Barf! Belch! You should have seen it!" Ruffnut was saying to their Zippleback. "We almost died! It was brilliant!"

Barf and Belch looked at their riders in awe, if not jealousy.

"Hey, Toothless!" Hiccup said, rubbing Toothless' head. "Yeah, I missed you too, buddy. I don't think we should ever go somewhere without the dragons again, guys."

"Agreed," said Astrid, scratching Stormfly's head.

"So," said Hiccup, taking the Dragon Eye lens out of his satchel and holding it up to the light of the moon. "Are any of you up to seeing where this lens leads?"

"No thank you, Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "I'll look at it tomorrow. Right now...I just want to sleep."

"Yeah, same here," said Snotlout. "If I look at it at all, it won't be any time soon. Come on, Hookfang, let's go." Snotlout mounted his dragon, the twins mounted theirs, and they took to the sky.

"All right," said Hiccup. "Astrid, you up to it?"

"I'm not down to it," said Astrid, and they mounted their dragons and soared to the Clubhouse, where the Dragon Eye was being kept.

...

Hiccup took the Dragon Eye off the desk and slipped the new lens into its slot. "Toothless," he said, rubbing the Night Fury's head with one hand while holding the Dragon Eye in the other, "give me a slow burn."

Toothless growled and instantly did as he was told. A new map - brand new, without a doubt - was projected on the wall. The map showed islands, sea stacks, all illuminated in purple light from Toothless' plasma blast. Hiccup gasped at the sight of it, as did Astrid.

"I've definitely never seen the island before," said Astrid. "What's this over here?" She gestured to the shape of a dragon, set beside the largest island.

"I'm not so sure," said Hiccup. "It must be some kind of new species of dragon." He took out his notebook and began copying the map, looking up every few seconds to make sure he didn't mess up a single thing. As soon as he had finished, he shut the book and set it down again. "All right," he said. "We'll head out to the island in the morning. Hopefully, the others will be up to it then."

"I'm sure they will be," Astrid said. "And even if they aren't, I definitely will be."

He smiled at her, and she smiled back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**ShadowSpirit020: True. Snotlout can be really idiotic when he wants to be, and stupid when he doesn't. :D**

 **StarWarsMCDragonChick227: Huh, bitten by another Snaptrapper, aye? :) I like the sound of that! :D Like you said, there's already been a fic of mine when he's bitten (and poisoned) by a Snaptrapper...but I can assure you, there will be plenty of Hiccup getting hurt, sick, and poisoned to go 'round. XD Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the stories so much! :D It's always good to hear I'm keeping everyone in-character. :) Maybe I'll check your stories out sometime! Sounds fun! :D Thanks for the review! :D**

 **SilverGhostWolf: Thanks! :D Ha ha, yep, Snotlout, you're doomed. XD**

 **Emachinescat: Aww, haha, thanks so much! :D I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I'm already having fun writing and scheming future chapters. I hope you continue to enjoy it! :D OOOOOH, you know what's funny? When I read the whole Fishlegs writes love letters to Tantrum and Hiccup lies and says he wrote them, the first thing I thought was, "OOOOH, this would be so funny if it actually happened!" XD And of course there would be some Astrid-angry-at-Hiccup thrown in there too. :D It'd be funny to introduce Humongously Hotshot and the other Fiances, too! :D That'd be fun! :D I'll consider it! Thanks! :D**

 **Dimensional Girl: Trrruuue. XD**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yes, haha. The twins love everything dangerous. Snotlout's probably the scaredy cat of the group, now that I think about it. XD**

 **Anmals Rule: Let's see what happens! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: True that. :)**

 **la-hija-de-Dios: Yep! :D Let's hope SOMETHING comes out of that expedition and running! I'm sure they'll rest up quite a bit before even THINKING about going back out. :D**

 **Guest (#1): Hey, that's not a bad idea! :D I like it! :D Thanks! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: Hahaha, yeah. Hiccup never learns. XD**

 **SnivyDragon: Yeah, Snotlout's whining...oh well. XD And thanks! :D I always think of random ideas that, when they're gotten down on paper, actually sound pretty cool.**

 **dilloncoll: That sounds annoying.**

 **DG-Agent37-Lover: Oh, the twins will have more moments in this, don't worry. :) I love the twins too much to write without them saying something clever for too long. :D Snotlout's actually hilarious. I loved the whole thing in Astrid's Team with, "It's like chess...only I don't know how to play chess..." and whenever he's the voice of doom. That's funny, too. :) Some people in the fandom don't like Snotlout, and I don't really see why. Oh well. Their choice. XD Sand Nadders...eh, it's like cats, I suppose. Some cats love water, some cats don't. *shrugs* And thanks! :D I'm glad you like it! :D**

* * *

"So, do you have all the supplies I asked you to gather?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs for the utmost time. They were exploring a new island that morning; it was important to make sure they had all the essentials while at the same time, traveled light. Both of those things were extremely important.

It was dawn, the first rays of sun hitting Dragon's Edge, and Hiccup deemed it ready to leave for the new island just an hour ago. As soon as he made the announcement, the others had raced to get ready, Ruffnut and Tuffnut talking about how they wanted to find a fire breathing dragon while Snotlout grumbled little (which was a big shock but also a big relief).

"Yes, I do," Fishlegs said. He took a piece of parchment out of Meatlug's saddlebag and read over the list out loud to both himself and to Hiccup: "You wrote down water, flint, ropes, and a knife for everyone. But why flint? I was meaning to ask you that earlier. The dragons have fire if we need to make one."

"Just a precaution," Hiccup shrugged. "It's always good to be prepared."

"I'm prepared for anything!" Snotlout exclaimed from above them. Hookfang landed and snorted. "Come at me, nature!" Snotlout waved his hands back and forth. Hookfang growled and flung Snotlout off his back, and the Jorgenson crashed into the wall of one of their huts. "I was _so_ expecting that!" Snotlout shouted, giving Hiccup and Fishlegs a thumbs-up.

"We all were," Astrid said as she landed Stormfly next to Hiccup, Toothless, Fishlegs and Meatlug. "In fact, I think we were all _hoping_ for it."

"So, are we all ready to go?" Hiccup called, clapping his hands together. "We really need to head out so we can try and make it back here before dark."

"Good plan," Fishlegs said, nodding his head. "But where are the twins?"

As if on cue, Ruffnut and Tuffnut landed Barf and Belch on the platform. "Present!" they called in unison.

"Yes!" Tuffnut said. "And that's Thorston for _we are not going unless there is a fire-breathing dragon involved!_ '"

"There may or may not be dragons involved," Hiccup said calmly. "For all we know, it could be leading us to another lens."

"Oh, well," Tuffnut said, "in that case, don't bother. I guess I'll just let you waste my time. You know. Like, forever. Literally."

"Guys, guys, guys," Hiccup said, putting his hands forward pleadingly. "Let's just go. We don't know how long it's going to take to get there." He mounted Toothless, and the other riders mounted their dragons around him. "Are we ready?" Hiccup called.

"I was born ready!" Snotlout cheered. "Go nature!" Hookfang roared and launched into the sky, lighting himself on fire in the process. Snotlout's shouts of "OW, OW, OW, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT!" met their ears, and the other riders couldn't help but laugh as they followed him.

"Funny how just yesterday he was complaining about the great outdoors," Astrid said, flying alongside Hiccup and Toothless.

"Yep," Hiccup said. "Well, you know, Snotlout has very frequent mood swings."

"YEOWCH! STUPID DRAGON! HOOKFANG!"

As they continued flying in an almost bizarre silence, the air grew from warm to chilly, and eventually went from chilly to freezing. Hiccup made a mental note to put cloaks on their "to bring" list next time they went to an unknown island.

"This is so uncomfortable," Tuffnut said. "I think I have frostbite on my spleen."

He was ignored by the other riders, who were still focused on flying through the wind, which was now picking up, almost dramatically. It wasn't exactly bad flying weather; it was just not the sturdy, relaxing weather Hiccup was accustomed to.

"We might want to think about turning back if this gets any worse, Hiccup," Fishlegs called. "Meatlug can't fly in these conditions for long periods of time. It gives her chills."

"I know," Hiccup said back. "We just need to get through this patch and find some place to land. We can rest our dragons, maybe have a look around, and then head back home if we do or do not find anything interesting."

They continued onwards. The weather was the exact opposite of the weather on the island they had visited the day before. Hiccup had half expected this island they were venturing to to be the same.

He was wrong. It was cold. Not exactly windy or snowy or rainy. Just cold in temperature.

At least it wasn't snowing, or hailing. That was something to be thankful for.

They continued flying. And then, just as Hiccup was thinking that maybe they had read the map wrong somehow and should go back, he saw a small island on the horizon. It looked black with patches of white - snow, perhaps. It wouldn't have surprised Hiccup with the chill of the area.

"There!" Astrid called from ahead of him. "There it is! Are we going to land?" She paused for a moment as if considering what she had asked. "Well!" she said. " _That_ was a stupid question!" Stormfly surged ahead, and the others followed closely, towards the mysterious island and whatever mysteries and discoveries it held in store.

The dragons landed on the surface of the island. Toothless lifted his head and sniffed the air, and the other dragons did the same around him. Toothless growled, his teeth sheathed; nothing unusual or out of the ordinary, then. Hiccup dismounted, as did Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins.

"Wow," Astrid breathed. "Would you take a look at this place?"

Truly, it was unlike anything Hiccup had ever seen before. The jagged rocks stuck up in all directions...only he saw now that they weren't rocks. They were like giant, upside down icicles, looking not unlike a lion's made, made completely out of ice.

"That is very interesting," Fishlegs observed. "These weren't forged by nature. It must be...some sort of dragon, or something. But by the looks of it...it wasn't here recently. It's been here for a few years."

"So, do you think the island's abandoned?" Hiccup asked. "Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying we should be careful," Fishlegs said. "We don't know what's out here, Hiccup. Just because these spikes are old doesn't mean that whatever made them isn't around somewhere."

"Got it," Hiccup said. "Astrid, you can make a small fire if you want. We'll get warmed up, and then have a little look around, and see what we can find."

Astrid nodded and went to do as Hiccup had instructed while the others raced off to help her in any way possible.

They were unaware of the two black, beady eyes watching them from a cavern they hadn't noticed. The creature growled at them lowly and slunk back into the shadows that hid it from sight.

It would prey on them soon enough.

…

Setting up their camp - even if it was just for a few minutes worth of resting - took a lot longer than Hiccup had hoped. It was full of Ruffnut and Tuffnut bickering over which rocks were stones and which stones were rocks. In the end, while Tuffnut and Ruffnut fought in the background and Snotlout voiced every single one of his pathetic complaints out loud, Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs (with the help of the dragons) cleared the snow away and built a fire.

Even then, because of the twins and Snotlout, they had wasted nearly an hour of their time on the island, and Hiccup was determined to not waste any more.

"Alright, guys," he said, turning to the other riders. "Are you all ready to explore?"

Astrid and Fishlegs nodded, Astrid doing it eagerly while Fishlegs looked nervous about their situation. Ruffnut and Tuffnut and Snotlout stopped fighting long enough to offer a small "Yeah, sure, whatever" before going right back to fighting.

"Then it's settled," Hiccup said. "Let's have a look around." He turned and headed towards the ice structure, and the others and the dragons followed him closely. It looked much more menacing up close, but Hiccup decided not to acknowledge it. It made him feel dizzy.

"So, what are we going to do if we find something?" Snotlout asked.

"Well, it depends on what we find," Hiccup replied. He found an opening in the ice, and stepped inside. The others did the same, following him down the ice tunnel.

"Whoa," Tuffnut breathed. "This ice looks so good I can almost-"

"Don't lick it," Hiccup warned. "You'll get your tongue stuck."

"Actually," Astrid said, "in their case, it's not such a bad idea."

"Oh, you mean we weren'th thsuppothed to lick ith?" Snotlout's slurred voice met their ears, and they turned their heads and sighed. Snotlout's tongue was stuck to the ice, and he was pulling frantically. "Ith thtuck!" he complained. "Ith thstuck! Help!"

"We could just leave him there," Astrid said.

"Tempting, but no," Hiccup replied.

"HEEELLPPPTH!" Snotlout complained.

"Hang on, Snotlout," Hiccup groaned. "We'll-"

"WAIT!" Tuffnut shouted so suddenly that everyone froze and stopped breathing for a few moments. "I speak post tongue-stuck-to-ice-wall Snotlout!" Tuffnut announced.

"Oh, not this again," Astrid groaned. "What other 'post weird thing Snotlout' do you speak? We could use a 'post stupid Snotlout' if you ask me."

"HEY!" Snotlout protested.

"Wait," Tuffnut said. "Snotlout just said that _Tuffnut is the smartest of us all_."

Astrid laughed. "Snotlout's more likely to compliment Hiccup," she said.

"WHAT!?" Snotlout blurted. "Ith NEVER thaid thath!"

Tuffnut elbowed him. "Sure you didn't," he said.

Hiccup sighed. "Okay, guys, knock it off," he said. "Let the little man keep _some_ dignity." He took a water canteen from Fishlegs and approached Snotlout, but before he could, Astrid ripped the water canteen out of his hands and splashed the water inside of it over Snotlout's face.

"YEOOWTHCH!" Snotlout shouted, jerking backwards. His tongue was freed, and as soon as he realized that, he beamed at Astrid. "My hero!" he said.

"Ugh." Astrid elbowed him in the stomach - hard. "Save it, Snotface."

"That's Mr. Snotface to you!" Tuffnut shot back. "He said it in post la-la-land Snotlout!"

"Oh look!" Hiccup shouted, pointing to the ceiling. "A wildfire!"

"WHERE!?" Ruffnut and Tuffnut said in unison, almost too excitedly, looking up at the roof wildly. They looked back at Hiccup when they realized that there was no fire on the ceiling, looking disappointed.

Hiccup smirked. "Good," he said. "Now that I have your attention...have you _forgotten_ why we're here?"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut exchanged worried glances. "Actually," Tuffnut said, "no, we did not."

"Oh, good," Hiccup sighed. "For a second-"

"We never knew in the first place," Ruffnut finished. "So, there's no way we could have forgotten if we never knew it to begin with, right? So, does that mean we're off the hook?"

Hiccup groaned, and it was highly exaggerated. "Fine, forget it," he said. "We're here to look around. Be careful, and if you see anything, let us know, alright?" He turned without another word and continued down the tunnel with his friends and the dragons following his lead.

"Six dragon riders, led by Tuffnut, the awesome Tuffnut," Tuffnut sang quietly as they went along. "Tuffnut is the awesomest, yes he is. Tuffnut is the best of them all. Tuffnut saves the day, Tuffnut doesn't lick the ice, Tuffnut, Tuffnut-"

"Would you be quiet!?" Snotlout whispered harshly, and Tuffnut flinched violently and surprisingly did as he was ordered.

"Do you guys hear that?" Astrid whispered, putting her hand on Hiccup's shoulder to stop him from moving. "Listen closely. It...it sounds like...scraping."

Hiccup turned and looked at her curiously. He closed his eyes, letting his ears become his main sense.

And then, he heard what Astrid had meant. There _was_ a scraping noise, coming from the area directly in front of them. Although Hiccup wasn't one hundred percent sure what had made the sound, he could very well assume that it was a dragon.

"Yeah, I hear it," he said, opening his eyes and looking at Astrid. "Something's ahead of us, and I'm pretty sure it's a dragon."

Fishlegs made his trademark "happy noise" which sounded slightly higher than the screech of a dying rabbit and very much more like a girl. "Oooooh, a new dragon!" he squealed. "This is so exciting!" He hugged Meatlug, and the dragon licked him in response.

"Okay, so, at least we don't have to vote on where we're going next," Hiccup said. "Alright, guys. Let's find this dragon and see if we can train it. If we can, then great. If we can't…"

He stopped and shook his head. They would be able to train it. They could train anything when they really set their minds to it, and Hiccup had the feeling that this dragon wouldn't be any different.

But...at the same time...there was something else he was feeling, too. A feeling of dread, worry, concern, and even danger. He had the feeling that whatever this dragon was wouldn't be wanting to make peace.

He shook his head and continued forward, hoping that that last feeling was just a "feeling" and not reality.

Because he didn't know what they would do if it was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been updating 2 - 3 times a day recently. I've been kinda scatterbrained. :/ Working on this really tough piano piece called "Clair de Lune", which is REAAAAAALLLY complicated.**

 **Yeah...sadly, I can't do shout-outs this chapter, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS AND THE SUPPORT! :D :D :D See you next chapter! And I promise I'll do shout-outs then, too! :D**

* * *

"Come on, guys. If I'm hearing this right, then it should be right up ahead." Hiccup stepped over a log-like ice clump, and the others did the same behind him. The pathway curved and narrowed for a brief moment before going back to its normal wide path.

"We don't even know if it's down here or not," Snotlout said. "It could just be your imagination."

For a few moments without hearing anything, Hiccup thought that maybe, just maybe, Snotlout was right, until a roar broke the silence. It was a throaty, scratchy roar and was so loud that Hiccup and the other riders covered their ears without fully thinking about what they were doing.

As soon as all was quiet again, Hiccup let his hands drop to his sides. He turned to look at Snotlout again. "Was _that_ my imagination?" he asked challengingly, and Snotlout shook his head violently. "Good," Hiccup said. "Then we press on. Eyes forward."

And they continued, and as they did, the dragons grew more and more restless, growling at almost everything.

Then, all at once, something flew straight at them at full speed. Hiccup couldn't make out what it was before Toothless jumped forward and blasted it with a plasma blast.

It shattered in the air, particles of cold, wet crystals raining down on them.

"Was that an _ice block!?"_ Fishlegs blurted. "The dragon spits _ice?_ That's...this is incredible! Scary, but incredible!"

Toothless rushed forward, and the others followed him onwards.

And then, they saw it. The dragon they had heard in the tunnel; the dragon that had spat ice at them.

It was a solid, almost neon blue with a spiderweb of white stripes dancing across its back. It was built athletically, its body lean and its wings tucked firmly around its body. It had two white horns sticking out of its head, and its white teeth were bared in a snarl.

It was staring directly at the dragon riders with black, beady eyes. It growled lowly, and Hiccup took a cautious step back, as did Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins behind him. Toothless roared at the dragon, and the dragon in turn roared back.

"It's glorious!" Tuffnut said.

All at once, the ice dragon pounced them. Toothless tackled it and wrestled it to the ground, and the other dragons raced to help him.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get hurt. What was worse, it would have been all his fault for dragging them into this mess.

The dragons fought like mad, biting and snapping and roaring and growling, a huge, heaping pile of dragon tails, flaring wings and talons scraping and clawing in all directions.

"They need our help," Hiccup concluded, turning to the other riders. "We need to create a distraction, and leave as soon as possible, got it?"

"Got it," the others agreed.

Hiccup went first, rushing forward although he knew it could get him killed, and shouted, "Hey, frost breath! Look at me!" while waving his hands back and forth to try and get the dragon's attention. It turned to him and roared, and while the ice dragon was distracted, Hookfang snapped at its tail, leaving fine, bleeding tooth marks across the dragon's scales.

Then, the oddest thing happened. The dragon roared in fury and licked its wounded tail. As soon as it did, its saliva seemed to sink into its skin, and all at once, the injury was gone. Gone, as if it had never even existed. Gone as if Hookfang had never injured it in the first place.

"What the HECK was that!?" Snotlout yelped. His yelling got the ice dragon's attention again, and it turned to him and roared, ice building up in its throat. Toothless and Stormfly tackled it before it could hit Snotlout, and the dragon roared in fury.

"The Mender!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "That's what we should call it!"

"Oh, come on, now? _Seriously!?"_ Hiccup asked, jumping out of the way of one of the angry dragon's ice blasts. "You want to name it _now,_ Fishlegs!?"

"I like the Mender!" Astrid called. "I think the name suits him!"

"Look, it doesn't matter if it suits him or not!" Hiccup shouted. "We need to get out of here!"

It was five dragons against one, but even then, the Berkian dragons seemed to be losing the fight. The Mender had the advantage of being able to somehow mysteriously heal any wounds that were inflicted on it, whereas the other dragons didn't have that ability.

Toothless flung the Mender up against the wall, and the other dragons fired everything they had at it, fire and lava and anything else. The dragon would just heal itself in the end, so they didn't have to worry about hurting it too much.

As soon as the creature was unconscious, the dragon riders mounted their dragons and flew through the tunnel and back to open air as fast as was possible.

"Does ANYONE want to tell me what in the name of Thor just happened!?" Snotlout shouted. "Does anyone even KNOW what in the name of Thor just happened!?"

"Don't worry, you're not alone, Snotlout," Fishlegs said.

"That dragon...it...it _healed_ itself," Astrid said, appalled. "I've never heard of a dragon that can _do_ that before, have you?" She glanced at Hiccup and waited for his answer.

"No," Hiccup said. "Never before."

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed. "Astrid," he said, "I think I would remember a blue, ice-spitting dragon with the ability to heal itself in a matter of seconds."

"Alright, you got me there," Astrid said.

"So, we've discovered a new species?" Fishlegs asked. "As exciting as that is, I don't think I want to stay around here any longer than what's necessary."

"Agreed," Hiccup said. "But yes, I think we did discover a new dragon species. And honestly, I think calling it the Mender isn't a bad idea. It makes sense."

Astrid nodded. "Right," she said, "but for now, I think we should get back to Dragon's Edge and mark the new lens as 'Dangerous.'"

"Sounds great," Hiccup agreed instantly. "Come on, guys. Let's move out."

…

The flight back to Dragon's Edge was long and uneventful, full of Snotlout and the twins complaining while Fishlegs, Astrid and Hiccup discussed the two new species of dragons they had come across recently: the Mender, and the Sand Nadder.

"We need to put both of those in the book of dragons when we get back," Fishlegs decided.

"Sounds like a great idea," Hiccup agreed instantly. "New dragons...always so much to learn about them. The possibilities are endless. The sky's the limit on what you can learn about new dragons." As he spoke, he gestured wildly at the air for emphasis.

"Blah blah blah!" Snotlout shouted. "When do we get back to Dragon's Edge? How much longer?"

"Not too much longer," Hiccup said, looking up ahead. "I think I see it now, actually! On the horizon! Look!"

Sure enough, there was Dragon's Edge, the sun setting behind it, silhouetting it beautifully. The riders flew towards it and landed on it afterwards, the dragons touching down, glad to be resting their wings.

Hiccup, Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs and the twins dismounted. Ruffnut and Tuffnut took to punching each other while Snotlout and Fishlegs stretched.

"I do _not_ want to fly that far a distance again," Snotlout breathed. "Never again." He cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms above his head before letting them drop again. He looked back at Hiccup and crossed his arms. "Thanks to you, I'll be sore for a week," he grumbled.

"But we found a new species of dragon!" Fishlegs said excitedly, patting Meatlug's head. The Gronckle smiled happily and leaned in, craving more. "A brand new species, Snotlout! Aren't you a least a little bit excited?"

"Let me think…" Snotlout said slowly, tapping his chin in mock thought. "Hmm...I'll say that is a big fat NO. I might like the dragon a _little_ better...IF IT DIDN'T TRY TO KILL US."

"But it could have been self defense," Hiccup said reasonably; always the one to defend the dragons with Fishlegs. "We don't know what that dragon went through. Maybe somehow other dragons are fighting it. Maybe another dragon is trying to gain dominance."

"I still don't like that it was trying to kill us," Snotlout crossed his arms angrily and snorted. He nodded towards Hookfang and jerked his head in the opposite direction. "Come on, Hookfang," he said. "Let's go."

Hookfang growled, yet complied reluctantly, following his rider as Snotlout headed back to his room on Dragon's Edge. Ruffnut and Tuffnut followed him closely, leaving Hiccup, Fishlegs, Astrid, Stormfly, Meatlug, and Toothless still standing where they had landed.

"We have new information now," Hiccup said, breaking the recently developed silence that had settled between his friends. "We'll burn the maps leading to that island, and then we'll label the new lens, like Astrid suggested. Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs nodded. "I'll do it," he said. "I'll keep it in the Clubhouse. And I'll start writing a little bit on the new dragons we've discovered, like the Sand Nadder and the Mender. Oh, this is so exciting! I'm bursting at the seams!"

Hiccup clapped slowly and smiled. "I'm glad, Fishlegs," he said. "I'm going to take the Dragon Eye to my place and look over it a little bit, just to make sure there isn't anything we missed. I'm going to need to borrow that new lens for a while, too, so I'll drop it off at the clubhouse when I'm done with it."

"Alright, that sounds great," Fishlegs agreed, nodding his head. "This is so exciting! It's brilliant! It's...it's...OH!" He mounted Meatlug, and the Gronckle instantly took off.

"Ah," Astrid said, shaking her head slowly. "He's into it, isn't he?"

"Of course," Hiccup said. "What do you expect? He's Fishlegs."

"True," Astrid agreed. "So, I was thinking, maybe we _could_ check out the isle of the Mender again. I mean, a dragon that could heal itself...we could at least go back once, before we burn the maps."

"That sounds great," Hiccup agreed, nodding his head. "You're right. There is a lot to learn about that dragon. I've never seen anything like it before."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," said Astrid. "Goodnight, Hiccup." She turned and began walking away, Stormfly following her closely.

"'Night, Astrid," Hiccup said over his shoulder. She waved her hand in acknowledgement and continued walking. Hiccup faced Toothless and jerked his head. "Come on, bud," he said. "Let's see what else we can learn from that lens."

Toothless growled in agreement, and the two of them headed off.


	5. Chapter 5

**midnightsky0612: Thanks! :D**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Yes, there will be Hiccstrid in this season. :) I can promise everyone that. :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Thanks! :D Yeah, definitely interesting. It'll get more interesting as the story's real plot progresses, too. :)**

 **Dimensional Girl: We'll see what happens *wink* *wink***

 **Guest (#1): Hahaha, thank you! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: It definitely could have gone better. But like you said, it could've gone worse, too. :) They definitely got lucky, too. :) Thanks! :D**

 **Animals Rule: Thanks! Glad you liked it! :D**

 **SilverGhostWolf: Thanks! :D Yeah, I'm having fun with this story. :D**

 **StarWarsMCDragonChick227: Spppooooiiillllerrrrrssss! ;P**

 **MoonTheNightWing: Ahhh, Snotlout. He can be an idiot sometimes, can't he? XD**

 **SnivyDragon: Yeah...just another day on the Edge. Nothing new here. XD Seriously though, can't these dragon riders ever catch a break? Probably not. XD We'll see more about the Mender...soooooooon. XD**

* * *

Hiccup examined the lens in the small bit of candlelight he had, looking over every little crack and bump of uneven structure in the object in hopes of finding a new map of some sort that didn't lead to a dragon that wanted to kill them.

"Okay," he said, setting the lens back down on his desk and leaning back in his chair. "Doesn't look like anything new there...let's try something else." He slipped the lens into the Dragon Eye and held it to Toothless. "Toothless," he said, "a mild plasma blast. Careful, bud."

Toothless did as he was instructed, and the map was projected on the wall; the same map from before. Hiccup sighed, setting the Dragon Eye back down on the table. "There's another lens that has led us to nothing," he grumbled under his breath, flicking his charcoal across the table. "But maybe there's something I'm missing…" Toothless growled and nudged his side, and Hiccup laughed softly. "I know, bud," he said, scratching Toothless' scaly head. "I know it's late. Just give me five more minutes."

Toothless growled, yet wasn't persistent, flopping down on the ground beside Hiccup's chair and curling his tail around his body. Hiccup turned back to the Dragon Eye and the lens and examined both intently.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was pretty certain there was nothing else the lens was good for. He sighed. He didn't want it to be this way. He wanted to learn about more species of dragon, new islands...he liked having his friends back together. It was like it was back in the old days, when it was just him and the dragon academy. He missed those days.

And if every single lens led to nothing, then it was going to go back to the "boring" days. Astrid would join the Berk Guard, Fishlegs would continue his touring, the twins would keep "Loki-ing" everyone, Snotlout would keep being testing their weaponry.

And he would be left with nothing, just like he was before.

Toothless nuzzled him again, and Hiccup sighed. "Doesn't look like there's anything here, bud," he said. He put his hand over his mouth to suppress a yawn. "Right…yeah, we should probably head to bed, shouldn't we?"

Toothless growled his agreement.

"All right," said Hiccup.

…

"WHAT!?" shouted Snotlout the next morning, leaping to his feet. "YOU WANT TO GO _BACK_ TO SEE THE MENDER!?"

"I gave it some serious thought yesterday, Snotlout," said Hiccup, "and I decided that we should go back and try and see what we can learn about the Mender. A dragon that can heal itself...that's a pretty big deal. We've never come across something like it before."

"WHICH IS WHY," said Snotlout, "WE _SHOULDN'T_ GO BACK! WHO KNOWS! MAYBE IT'LL TRY TO, OH, I DON'T KNOW, _KILL US ALL!?"_

"Snotlout, could you chill?" said Astrid.

"HOW 'BOUT _YOU_ CHILL!" said Snotlout, jabbing his finger in Astrid's face. Astrid knocked his hand away, and Snotlout yelped, clutching his wrist. "HEY! THAT HURT!"

"Come on, guys, please, focus!" said Hiccup. "We won't get near the Mender, even a little bit. All we're going to do is observe it. The possibilities are endless. We have to-"

"SURVIVE!"

"Snotlout, seriously?"

"Oooh, I want to study the Mender!" said Fishlegs, throwing his hand into the air. "You can count us in, Hiccup!"

"Thanks, Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "Anyone else?"

"You know I'm coming," said Astrid. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"But would you miss it for your _life?"_ said Snotlout.

"Nope!" said Tuffnut. "I'm coming!"

"And so am I!" said Ruffnut. "I _love_ dragons that can kill us!"

"All right!" said Hiccup, and he turned to Snotlout. "Come on, Snotlout. Everyone else is going."

Snotlout looked like he would have rather said anything else, but he, arms crossed, muttered, "Whatever. But my death is on your head, Hiccup."

Hiccup grinned. "Perfect!" he said. "In which case, let's head out!"

...

The dragons cut through the sky around them, soaring straight towards the isle of the Mender. Toothless led the rest of the riders, who filed in a V formation behind him.

"Are we there yet?" moaned Ruffnut. "I'm bored!"

"We should be coming up on it pretty soon," said Hiccup, taking his spyglass and overlooking the ocean. He lowered it from his eye a moment later. "Give or take another hour, and we should be there."

Snotlout maneuvered Hookfang closer, no doubt to give Hiccup a piece of his mind, but at the last second, Snotlout glanced up, and frowned. "Um...Hiccup?" said Snotlout, pointing. "You might want to take a look above us."

Hiccup glanced upwards, as did Fishlegs, Astrid, and the twins beside him.

"Are those...what I think they are?" Astrid asked slowly, raising her hand and motioning to the sky.

Hiccup gasped. Above them, seven black silhouettes of dragons circled, closing in like ravens on a dead body.

Could this day get any _worse?_

"Sand Nadders!?" shouted Hiccup angrily. "But...but I thought...I thought we left them behind on that desert island! How could they have followed us all the way here!?"

"They must have tracked us," Fishlegs said. Then, he gasped, not from shock, but from obvious excitement. "I say Tracker Class!" he said. "Because they tracked us all the way here!"

"There is a right time for everything!" Astrid said. "And right now is NOT the right time to be deciding what class these dragons belong in!"

"But how could they have tracked us?" Hiccup questioned. "The only thing we took from their island was the lens, and that's back on the Edge! How would they have known to come here...oh."

He suddenly remembered: Tuffnut had found an emerald necklace he liked, and he had taken it with them. Hiccup put his head in his hands. "Oh my gods," he groaned. "Tuffnut, you...you brought the necklace back."

Tuffnut's eyes widened, and the others turned to look at him. "What?" he asked. "I don't have a necklace!" As he spoke, he grabbed something around his neck and hid it behind his back. "What?"

"You should have known better!" Astrid snapped.

"We don't know anything!" Tuffnut and Ruffnut shouted in unison.

"That stupid necklace is going to get us _killed!"_ said Snotlout angrily. "You _idiots-"_

They had to stop arguing, because a moment later, the Sand Nadders closed in, coming closer and closer. Toothless and the other dragons roared warningly, but the Sand Nadders didn't look ready to back down.

"Okay, I admit it!" Tuffnut shouted, ripping his necklace off his neck and throwing it down, towards the sea. "Take it! But you have to eat Ruffnut as payback!"

"Hey!" Ruffnut protested. She looked ready to slug Tuffnut, then and there, but they had other problems to deal with that didn't involve knocking Tuffnut out.

The Sand Nadders roared, obviously not enjoying the necklace they had been thrown. Toothless and the other dragons fired at them, but even then they didn't back down. The lead Sand Nadder - the biggest one - growled to the dragons surrounding it, and they charged forward.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins barely had time to move their dragons out of the way before the Sand Dragons pounced, and war broke out. All the dragons fought like mad, biting and scratching and clawing and roaring furiously whenever they were injured. It reminded Hiccup slightly of the fight with the Mender, only these Sand Nadders didn't have the ability to heal themselves.

"Go for their backs!" Hiccup ordered. "Or their chests! Take out the leader! Chances are, the rest of them will go down if he does!"

The others nodded in agreement and did as Hiccup had instructed them. The Sand Nadders shot spines from their tails, and the riders dodged each and every one of them with ease. The Alpha Sand Nadder kept roaring orders, and the others following him were quick to listen.

"LOOK!" Fishlegs shouted, waving his hand. "The isle of the Mender! Right there! Land! _LAND ON IT!"_

The dragons soared downwards, and the Sand Nadders pursued them quickly. Toothless, Stormfly, Barf, Belch, Meatlug, and Hookfang landed on the cold, ice-like surface of the isle of the Mender, and once they had ground beneath them, the dragons reared back, ready to face the Sand Nadders head-on.

The Sand Nadders landed on the icy ground in front of the other dragons, roaring furiously. The dragons roared back, and all at once, the Sand Nadders pounced. Toothless and Hiccup took on the lead Sand Nadder, and the rest of the gang took on the Sand Nadders nearest to them.

Two Sand Nadders ganged up on Astrid and Stormfly, and Astrid knew she should have been expecting it: the Sand Nadders were so much like the Deadly Nadders that it was almost scary. She should have been expecting the Sand Nadders to gang up on her and her dragon, but she didn't.

She wasn't prepared to be rammed into by the Sand Nadder, and before she even knew what was happening, she was knocked off Stormfly's back and thrown a good ten feet away. She quickly got to her feet, and while Stormfly took on one of the Sand Nadders, the other ran straight for Astrid .

Astrid raised her axe.

But before she could make a move to defend herself, the Sand Nadder flicked its tail.

She didn't see it coming until it was too late. She saw, in the corner of her eye, the spine shooting through the air, straight towards her. She would never have time to move out of the way before it hit her, and by the looks of it, it would hit her right in the chest and most likely pierce her heart.

 _Well,_ she thought, _better me than someone else._

"ASTRID!" Hiccup's voice shouted from the left, and Hiccup leapt off Toothless' back and charged towards her. Toothless fended off the Sand Nadder, and Hiccup ducked beneath a spine, still running towards Astrid.

"Hiccup, no!" Astrid shouted, but it was too late.

Hiccup shoved her to the ground, knocking her out of harm's way, putting himself where she had once stood. She tumbled to the ice, the air getting knocked out of her lungs. For a few moments, she couldn't breathe.

She heard a scream. A sickening _thump_ that could only mean one thing.

The spine hadn't found its way to her.

But it had found its way to someone else.

 _"HICCUP!"_ Astrid screamed.

* * *

 **Sorry 'bout that cliffhanger! :D Anyways, if you guys want to stick around, I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE.**

 **OKAY.**

 **So, some people have asked me why I always write Hiccup as the main character in most of my fanfictions, and the reason is this:**

 **WE DON'T GET ENOUGH HICCUP/CENTERED EPISODES IN RTTE!**

 **Seriously! I mean, I know Hiccup got the first film, and the second film, and quite a bit in Riders/Defenders of Berk, BUT HE HAS NO EPISODES IN RTTE.**

 **Think about it! (and I don't mean episodes with Hiccup and the gang: I mean episodes focusing on Hiccup specifically)**

 **WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A HICCUP AND TOOTHLESS CENTERED EPISODE!? I MEAN SERIOUSLY! I WANT HICCUP TO BE CAPTURED AT THE BEGINNING OF AN EPISODE AND SPEND THE REST OF THE EPISODE SASSING HIS OPPONENTS. I WANT HICCUP AND TOOTHLESS TO HAVE AT LEAST _ONE_ EPISODE. **

**We've seen Fishlegs' character development in learning through his mistakes! We've seen Snotlout's character development with his father! We've seen how useful the twins can be! We've seen Astrid take the lead, AND realize how prideful she can really be.**

 **Why can't Hiccup have his own episode with Toothless? *sighs* Oh well...**

 **AND sorry about the rant! XD I'm just a fangirl. XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! :D Sorry, but no shout-outs this chapter. NEXT CHAPTER, I PROMISE YOU SHOUT-OUTS! :D**

 **Oh, and to those of you who are interested in hearing ANY more RttE information, check out Berk's Grapevine! They just posted a new article about a few things we can expect in season 3! :D Enjoy chapter 6! :D**

* * *

"HICCUP!" she screeched in terror. For a few moments, he stood, frozen, staring at the Sand Nadder. For a fleeting second, Astrid thought that maybe, just maybe, she had seen it wrong, and the spine had missed him.

But then, he clutched his stomach and collapsed.

"HICCUP!" she screamed again, and before she knew what was happening, she was running. Seeing Hiccup hurt was the final straw. They had found a new lens which led them to a dragon that wanted to kill them, and then, the Sand Nadders had attacked, and they were being assailed by the deadly dragons even now.

But Hiccup was off-limits. No one was allowed to hurt Hiccup.

Not without her having anything to say about it.

She raised her axe over her head and smashed the flat of it against the dragon's head. The Sand Nadder, who was _not_ expecting her blow, staggered backwards and yowled in indignance just before spreading its wings and roaring.

Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins continued fighting off the Alpha, and without him, the other Sand Nadders staggered in confusion, torn between flying away in terror or following the orders of their Alpha.

Astrid wasn't thinking about them anymore. She dropped her axe, and ran towards Hiccup. And then she saw it - a spine, not much bigger than a dagger, driven through Hiccup's stomach. "Oh no," she whispered, her eyes widening. "Oh, oh no…Hiccup..." Astrid grabbed him roughly by his shoulders, cradling him without thinking about what she was doing. His head lolled against her shoulder, and she put her hand on his cheek to force him to look at her, even though his eyes were closed.

His eyes were closed...he was paling at an alarming rate...she couldn't even tell whether or not he was breathing…

"No," she whispered. She patted his cheek, hoping to garner some reaction from him. "Please, Hiccup, no…"

His eyelids fluttered, and he blinked at her blearily, his eyes half-closed. "Astrid," he croaked. He smiled weakly. "Hi."

"You saved me," Astrid said, still not fully believing it, still not believing that Hiccup, sweet, sarcastic Hiccup, was lying in her arms, quite possibly dying. "You saved me, Hiccup…"

"Yeah," Hiccup said weakly, and he chuckled. "Don't know what I was thinkin'..."

Astrid smiled, and although it was beyond fake, she hoped he didn't notice that.

Snotlout and Hookfang rammed into the nearest Sand Nadder, and the Sand Nadder, screeching in terror, spread its wings and shot into the sky. The Alpha roared angrily at the lone Sand Nadder, and the retreating dragon turned reluctantly and followed the commands of its Alpha.

The fight was going horribly. It was anyone's game.

But then, it was made even worse when the Mender showed up.

The ice-blue dragon charged from its cave, roaring angrily, spreading its wings. It locked eyes with the dragon riders, ready to sprang on them and attack them from disturbing the peace of its home.

But the Sand Nadders got to the Mender first, roaring angrily and pouncing it. The Mender roared back at them, but nothing it did made a difference. It spat ice at the nearest Sand Nadder, but other Sand Nadders ganged up on it, pinning it down.

"You're all right, Hiccup," Astrid whispered, trying desperately not to cry. She took his hand, supporting him in her arms. "You're all right…"

Hiccup shut his eyes tiredly. "I...I d-don't...think so…"

Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf, and Belch instantly took on the Sand Nadders, knocking them angrily off the Mender, defending the strange dragon with the ability to heal itself. They pounced the Sand Nadders, knocking them off the Mender while the other riders took up their weapons to help. Once the Mender stood up, it roared in fury at the Sand Nadders and attacked, spitting ice like crazy.

Toothless, meanwhile, raced to where Hiccup and Astrid were, and he instantly nudged Hiccup, once, then twice, and then, a third time in desperation. Hiccup opened his eyes and pressed his hand against Toothless' head weakly.

He said nothing. He couldn't find the strength to.

The Mender tackled the Alpha Sand Nadder to the ground and pinned it, right there, so it didn't have a hope of escape. The Sand Nadder roared, raising its tail, but Meatlug, with Fishlegs mounted on her back, pinned down the creature's spine-shooting tail and forced it to lie still.

Meanwhile, Hookfang reared up, lighting himself on fire, and wing-blasting it towards the nearest Sand Nadder. The dragon screeched and took to the sky. The Alpha Nadder tried to roar at it, to tell it not to retreat, but Stormfly stepped on the dragon's muzzle, pinning his mouth shut.

Without their Alpha, the Sand Nadders scattered, scrambling blindly, trying to figure out what to do and where to go. Stormfly raised her tail and shot spines at the nearest ones, and they, yelping, shot into the sky, hovering over their Alpha, waiting for commands.

Meantime, Astrid carefully wrapped her hand around the spine still lodged in Hiccup's stomach, and before she could rethink her decision, she yanked it clear out. Hiccup jerked and cried out in pain; Toothless recoiled momentarily. Seeing Hiccup in pain pained him.

"Stay with me, Hiccup," said Astrid pleadingly. "Come on, just stay with me…"

Barf and Belch blasted fire at the Sand Nadders, and the Nadders, screeching in terror, finally took to the sky. The Mender fired ice up at them for good measure; paste-like saliva dripped from its fangs and onto the icy ground below.

Finally, the Sand Nadders retreated entirely, spreading their wings and shooting off into the horizon, never to return to the isle of the Mender or bother the dragon riders again. Once they were out of sight, Hookfang, Meatlug, and Stormfly got off the Alpha, and the Alpha dragon got to his feet.

He opened his mouth to roar.

The Mender leapt forward, snarling and roaring furiously. The Alpha instantly shrank back; without the rest of his pack, he could do nothing. He spread his massive wings and took to the sky, flying in the direction his fellows had taken.

The Sand Nadders were gone, never to return.

The Mender turned and bowed respectfully at the riders and their dragons, but the relief was short-lived when Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut turned their heads, and caught sight of Hiccup, lying in Astrid's arms, bleeding.

"HICCUP!" they shouted, and Astrid didn't even need to look before she knew it was her friends. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins jumped off their dragons and raced towards the duo, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw Hiccup.

"Oh, Thor," Snotlout gasped, shaking his head feverishly. "No... _no!"_

"Oh, man…" whispered Tuffnut, not taking so much as another step forward, staring at Hiccup and Astrid with terror. "No…"

"Oh Thor," Fishlegs whispered. "Hiccup...oh no...oh no…"

"What do we do!?" demanded Ruffnut, throwing her hands about wildly, clearly not knowing what to do with them. "Come on, we have to get Hiccup back to Berk!"

"Berk is days away from here, Ruffnut!" said Snotlout, and he, too, flailed his arms madly. "We wouldn't even be able to make it back to the Edge before it's too late!"

"Oh Thor, oh Thor, oh Thor…" panicked Fishlegs, digging his hands into his hair. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening!"

"We can't just let him die!" shouted Tuffnut, standing up to Snotlout. "There has to be something we can do, or somewhere we can go!"

"If there was a way, we would have thought about it!" said Snotlout, shouting because he was afraid of just what this meant. Afraid of it all. Afraid of the fact that Hiccup, despite denials, was dying. "Think, guys, think! What can we do? There has to be something!"

"That's what I just said!" snapped Tuffnut angrily, jabbing a finger in Snotlout's face. "We have to do something!"

"But _what!?"_ said Ruffnut.

"Oh Thor," whispered Fishlegs. "Thor, Thor, Thor…"

"FISHLEGS, YOU ARE NOT HELPING!" yelled Snotlout.

"STOP YELLING AT HIM!" shouted Ruffnut.

" _STOP YELLING AT ME!"_

" _SHUT UP!"_ Astrid screamed, louder than she had ever screamed before in her life - and when Astrid Hofferson screamed, you listened.. _"SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!"_

Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins froze where they stood, hands both in the air and balled into fists.

Astrid, the girl who had trained with an axe since the day she could walk, whose biggest dream had been to join the Berk Guard and defend the island from attackers, had tears rolling down her face. Her eyes, filled with pain and still unshed tears, bore into theirs desperately, silently pleading with them to _stop, stop fighting, you're only making it worse..._

Ashamed, the other riders quieted entirely. And then, one by one, they took off their helmets and held them to their chests.

They knew it, but lacked the heart to say it out loud.

There was nothing to be done.

 _Nothing_.

Hiccup had stopped moving. He had stopped talking, eyes shut, chest barely rising and falling anymore. It was almost over.

Almost.

The Mender stepped forward, studying the scene with longing pity in his gaze. The dragon did not know what it was to feel pain such as this. How could he, when he had the ability to heal himself?

Astrid's eyes suddenly snapped open.

 _The Mender had the ability to heal itself._

"Snotlout," said Astrid, "have the Mender spit in your helmet."

Snotlout looked up, sniffing, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "What?" he stammered, voice thick. "Astrid, why do you-"

 _"DO IT, SNOTLOUT!"_ Astrid screeched at him. _"DO IT NOW!"_

Snotlout jumped half a foot in the air, turned, and raced towards the blue dragon. At first, the Mender recoiled, but then, as Snotlout held his hand out, the dragon held its peace.

"We saved you," said Snotlout. "Now spit." He held his helmet forward, upside-down. The Mender looked at Snotlout curiously, and then, after taking in a deep breath, spat a large, syrup-like blue puddle into the helmet. Snotlout grimaced at it, but didn't comment. Instead, he turned, taking the Mender's saliva and returning to Astrid.

"Here," said Snotlout, handing it over, and Astrid instantly took it and leaned over Hiccup. He looked awful now. His pale face was taking on a grey tinge, and few faint breaths escaped him.

It was now or never.

She turned the helmet over Hiccup's wound, and the Mender's saliva spilled onto his stomach. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins watched in confusion for a heartbeat or two - but then, they realized what she was doing.

"Oh, of course!" said Tuffnut. "The Mender can heal itself!"

Astrid tossed Snotlout's helmet to the side and wrapped her arm around Hiccup again. He still didn't open his eyes. His chest rose, and fell, and rose, and fell…

And rose…

And fell…

Rose…

Fell…

…

Wait…

...wait.

"He stopped breathing," said Fishlegs, and he sounded horrified. "Why'd he stop breathing? Astrid?"

Astrid ignored Fishlegs entirely, her focus on a different person. "Hiccup?" Astrid whispered, and she shook him, desperately trying to garner some reaction from him. "Come on, Hiccup, don't do this to me, you can't, you _can't_ …" Her voice broke. Her eyes burned. Her throat constricted.

"You c-can't do it to me," she begged. "Hiccup, you _can't_. _You can't_. W-we're going to get help, a-alright? You'll be okay…"

No.

Nothing was okay.

This was _THE ROYAL OPPOSITE_ of "okay."

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't think.

She couldn't move.

Her heart pounded against her chest, as if looking for a way of escape. She could feel it in her throat, could hear it pounding in her ears, but at the same time, she could hear nothing.

Nothing mattered.

The world might as well have ended.

 _"_ _ **HICCUP!"**_ she screamed, and her voice echoed across the sky and throughout the entire island. The dragons lifted their heads, staring in startled confusion.

And Astrid began to sob.


	7. Chapter 7

**THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER.**

 **I didn't say it, but this is fic is shorter than some of my others.**

 **LAST CHAPTER GUYS.**

 **LAST CHAPTER.**

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! :D Oh, and AS PROMISED, SHOUT-OUTS:**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yeah, sorry about the cliffhanger. :/ It's one of those things where you know there're going to be more episodes so Hiccup kinda has to live, but at the same time, you never know with authors. XD**

 **SilverGhostWolf: Hahaha, yes, we can! :D**

 **UpbeatGracie: Just about. XD**

 **Animals Rule: Hahahahahaha, sorry! XD**

 **Starry Roses: He's still there. We'll see him in this chapter. :)**

 **bella: Yes. Very cliffhanger. :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: Yeah. She panicked. It's hard to keep a straight head when the person you love is dying. Poor Astrid. :(**

 **Guest (#1): That's a good idea! :D Thanks! :D**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Seriously though! D:**

 **Prince Maggie: No, Hiccup! Sorry about that cliffhanger. XD And thanks! I had some fun with the Mender, and I'm glad you like him! :D**

 **wikelia: We shall see. :)**

 **Forever Me: Hahahahahahaha! Yeah, sorry Hiccup. I feel like Bucket sometimes. (Fandom: "Nice move, Beyond! You just got Hiccup KILLED!" Me: "Sorry, Hiccup" XD) Thanks! :D**

 **StarWarsMCDragonChick227: I am so sorry! :D**

 **Dimensional Girl: I'm sorry! D:**

 **Charr2003: Wow, caps lock...I AM SO SORRY. POOR HICCUP. POOR ASTRID. POOR EVERYONE ELSE. I AM SO SORRY. :(**

 **la-hija-de-Dios: We shall se! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: Yeah. Just about. :)**

* * *

Astrid buried her face in Hiccup's scalp, harsh, guttural screams tearing from her throat. No matter how hard she clutched him, no matter how locked her arms were around him, she never seemed able to hold him tight enough. She couldn't let him go. She couldn't. She held him, as if she could somehow pin whatever life that possibly remained in him down, forcing it to remain.

But she couldn't.

And it shattered her essence and trampled her heart.

She sucked in deep, shuddering breaths, only to empty her lungs again by screaming and sobbing. She rocked herself and Hiccup back and forth, desperately trying not to think about what had just happened.

But it had happened.

There was no denying it.

Toothless roared and threw himself backwards in anguish. Snotlout lowered his head, wiping feverishly at his eyes, as did Fishlegs and the twins. The Mender stepped backwards slowly, sadly, and the other dragons bowed their heads and shut their eyes in silent remorse.

Astrid sucked in a deep breath, nearly choking herself in the process. She shut her eyes tightly, whispering, "Hiccup...Hiccup... _Hiccup_ …" over and over again, as if he could somehow hear her. "P-please, Hiccup, d-don't be...d-don't be g-gone…"

She choked on a sob and squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. She couldn't bear to look at him. Because if she looked at him, she couldn't pretend it hadn't happened. She couldn't try, try, and try again to deny the cruel reality.

And through the isle of the Mender fell nothing but icy, bone-chilling silence.

...For a moment.

"You're...squeezing...too tight…"

Astrid stiffened. Oh, great, now she was going crazy. She had always wondered what would happen to her, should Hiccup's death occur, and this was it. She was insane. She was hearing Hiccup's voice in her head.

"Astrid...seriously…"

Huh. Strange. It seemed closer to her ear than her head…

...wait.

 _Wait_.

Toothless' head suddenly snapped up, and if that wasn't clarification enough, nothing was.

Astrid wasn't the only one who had heard the voice.

She pulled back instantly, hands gripping Hiccup's shoulders, and she stared at him, hardly daring to hope. He stared back at her, eyes dazed and half-shut, but open nonetheless.

"Hiccup," she whispered. Her eyes were so wide it was painful. She gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He looked back at her, brows furrowed. "You're alive," Astrid whispered.

Hiccup blinked, and then, he smiled, weakly, but goofily. "Am I?" he prompted.

There was a beat.

And then, the dams broke.

Astrid laughed giddily, somewhat hysterically, and without taking a moment to explain, threw her arms around him, hugging him tighter than possible, and then tighter. "Hiccup!" she shouted, embracing him, hardly believing that somehow, miraculously, the Mender's healing saliva had saved his life.

Hiccup chuckled weakly, wrapping one arm back around her. "Y-yeah," he said. "Did you miss me, or somethin'...?"

" _You idiot_ ," Astrid said, barely able to get her voice passed her incessant, hysteric laughter. "You dumb _idiot, Hiccup…"_

"Is that...a yes?"

"Of course it is," Astrid said, crying again, this time for an entirely different reason. She couldn't believe it. He was _alive_ … _"Of course it is…"_

Behind her, the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs cheered, throwing their helmets and hands into the air. The dragons released celebratory bursts of flame into the sky, and Toothless, with a roar, bounded towards Hiccup. He nuzzled Hiccup and licked him; Hiccup didn't protest.

"Hey, buddy," Hiccup said, raising his hand and scratching Toothless behind the ears. "I'm glad to see you, too…"

For a few moments, the island was encased in comfortable silence, and finally, Astrid spoke again.

"Do you think you can walk, Hiccup?" she asked.

Hiccup pondered this for a moment, and then nodded. "I can try," he said, and Astrid helped him sit up, took his forearms, and pulled him to a stand beside her. He stumbled forward; she caught him beneath his arms to keep him from falling.

"Sorry…" Hiccup murmured. "Dizzy spells...seeing spots...everywhere…"

"It's the bloodloss," said Fishlegs, making his way over, the other riders and dragons following him closely. "We should wait a few hours before trying to get back to the Edge. Hiccup still has to fly Toothless."

"I'm _fine_ ," said Hiccup, swaying dangerously on his feet; he would have fallen over hadn't Astrid caught him at the last second. Hiccup swallowed hard. "Nevermind…"

"Okay," said Astrid, "we'll rest until nightfall and head back to the Edge then, alright?"

Hiccup nodded shakily in agreement.

…

By the time night finally rolled around, Hiccup was still exhausted, but his energy level had risen considerably. After he deemed himself able to fly Toothless all the way back to the Edge, the riders mounted their dragons and headed off, towards home. The Mender roared at them as they left, and the dragons turned around and roared right back in respect.

Then, they soared home, through the black, clear, starry sky, the moon lighting their way.

The dragons landed on the platforms, and the riders dismounted once again, and they headed inside the Clubhouse. Hiccup set the map leading to the isle of the Mender down on the table nearby, and after gesturing to it, Toothless exploded it in a blast of purple light.

"Won't have to worry about _that_ anymore," said Hiccup. "The lens...where's the lens that led to the isle of the Sand Nadders?"

"Oh, here," said Fishlegs, pulling the lens from the Dragon Eye and handing it over to Hiccup. "What are we going to do with it, Hiccup?" asked Fishlegs. "If we keep it around, the Sand Nadders will track it back right to us."

"You're right, we definitely can't keep it _here_ ," Hiccup said. He took the lens, held it up to the light, and then, he grinned, forming an idea. "But I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do with it instead." He smirked, almost fiendishly.

…

Late afternoon one bright, sunny day, Dagur the Deranged and his army of Berserkers glided on their giant ships through the water, looking back and forth apprehensively. Dagur stood at the bow of their largest ship, axe in one hand, sword strapped to his back.

"Come on, men, move _faster!"_ he shouted furiously, and his men scrambled to obey. "Hiccup and his little team of dragon riders can't hide their base forever! And when we find them, we'll blow them to smithereens! Now let me see…" He took up his spyglass, holding it up to his eye.

Out in the distance, he caught sight of Hiccup and Astrid, flying Toothless and Stormfly, straight to their armada. Dagur instantly lowered the spyglass and cackled in triumph.

"THEY'RE COMING STRAIGHT TOWARDS US!" he shouted at his crew, waving his arms about over his head. He clutched his axe and pulled back his arm, preparing to throw it, while the Berserkers behind him loaded catapults and crossbows.

But Hiccup and Astrid never got into firing range. As their dragons soared over the ships, Hiccup dropped a small, circular object onto the deck of Dagur's ship, and then, Toothless and Stormfly turned and rocketed out of sight.

Dagur stared at the Dragon Eye lens, though he didn't know it was a Dragon Eye lens, and picked it up, running his scarred thumb across its surface. "What does this mean?" he asked, and then, raising his voice and shouting to the wind, _"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, BROTHER!? YOU DROPPED SOMETHING!"_

When it seemed Hiccup had no real reason to drop the Dragon Eye lens on his ship, Dagur grinned, cackling madly.

"Hahahaha!" laughed Dagur. "Whatever you were planning, brother, it didn't work!"

Savage, meanwhile, thought differently. He spotted something on the horizon, and when he picked up the spyglass to get a better look, he frowned, and gasped.

"Um, sir?" he said. "I think whatever Hiccup was planning worked _perfectly_."

"What?" said Dagur, hurrying over, wrestling the spyglass from Savage's grip. "Let me see!"

Dagur didn't even have a chance to look through the spyglass before the dragons - seven of them, with golden-yellow scales and long spikes on their tails - assailed the ships. Dagur screeched and threw himself to the ground; the Sand Nadders flew over his head, roaring in fury.

The Sand Nadders blasted holes in Dagur's warships with their fire, and with their spines, created leaks all throughout the hull of the ship. Dagur looked left to right frantically; his men were being knocked overboard by the dragons, and his weapons were being smashed beneath the Sand Nadders' talons.

And that was when Dagur realized.

" _YOU'RE A CHEATER, HICCUP!"_ screamed Dagur to the wind. _"DO YOU HEAR ME!? YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A CHEATER!"_

In the sky, already a mile away, Hiccup and Astrid could hear the echo of Dagur's deranged, furious shout, and Hiccup and Astrid couldn't help it; they laughed for a good five minutes.

"Hiccup," said Astrid, once they had stopped laughing, "that was the most fiendishly clever thing I think you've ever come up with."

"Why, thank you, Astrid," said Hiccup, grinning. "I'm quite proud of it, too."

And Dagur's angry screams echoed through the skies.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First off, I'm sorry this story is shorter than some of my others. Y'know, there just wasn't much else to do with this story...BUT there was HICCSTRID, which I hope you all liked. I know I for one love Hiccstrid. :)**

 **So, a few of you were wondering if there would be Hiccstrid in this Race to the Edge B season, because in the B universe, Hiccup and Astrid aren't officially a "couple" until episode 4 of 2B, but THERE WILL BE HICCSTRID IN 1B, TOO. I PROMISE YOU. :D**

 **See, I love Hiccstrid, too. I'm just a fangirl at heart. :D**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! :D :D :D :D :D :D I'll see you next story, which will either be Season 3B episode 1, or season 1B episode 2! :D Love you guys! :D**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


End file.
